Idiom
See eye to eye
If two people see eye to eye, they agree with each other or share the same opinion.
How people use it
It is most often used in the negative: My brother and I don't always see eye to eye about money. You can see eye to eye with someone, and on or about something. It is neutral and polite, often used to describe disagreement in a calm way. It suggests general agreement on views or values, not just one small point. It has nothing to do with height, though people sometimes joke about it with tall and short friends.
Examples
- Ana and her coach don't see eye to eye on how much she should train.
- It took a long talk, but my parents and I now see eye to eye about my curfew.
- The two chefs rarely see eye to eye, but their restaurant is a hit.
Where it comes from
The phrase comes from the King James Bible of 1611. In the Book of Isaiah, it describes watchmen who shall see eye to eye, meaning face to face or clearly. Over the following centuries, the meaning shifted to the modern sense of agreeing with someone.
Check yourself
1. If two coworkers don't see eye to eye, what is true?
Answer: They disagree. Not seeing eye to eye means not agreeing.
2. Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Answer: Leo and Maya see eye to eye on most things, so they rarely argue.. Seeing eye to eye means agreeing, which explains why they rarely argue.
Word game fan? See every word hiding in EYE.